Victoria Zigler's Blog: Zigler News, page 57

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For October 7th 2019

Don’t start your day with the broken pieces of yesterday. Every day is a fresh start. Every morning we wake up is the first day of the rest of our life.
~Unknown

Live in terms of your strong points. Magnify them. Let your weaknesses shrivel up and die from lack of nourishment.
~William Young Elliot

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.
~Mary Pickford

Unless you are willing to try, fail miserably, and try again, success won't happen.
~Phillip Adams

Don’t wait for approval. Not everyone will understand your vision. You just need to believe in yourself, remain positive and go get it done.
~Idil Ahmed

The only person who can pull me down is myself, and I'm not going to let myself pull me down anymore.
~C. JoyBell

Always make your future bigger than your past.
~Dan Sullivan

#FurkidFriday: Logan The #Cavapoo's September 2019 Vet Trip

Hi everyone. This is Logan the Cavapoo.



I went to the vet place again last week.

Just me and Mummy went in one of those taxi things. We got to ride in one coming home too. Lilie didn't go, because it was raining, and there was no point her getting wet when she didn't need to see the vet people. She didn't mind it was raining, and would have been happy to go out and get wet, but the humans get to decide things like that. I didn't mind that it was raining either, because I don't mind water so much these days. Plus, I had my coat, and we were mostly in the taxi or vet place anyhow.



I got what Mummy and the vet called, "A clean bill of health," at the vet. Well, I agree it was clean there, but I don't know which of the people there was Bill, and don't remember getting anything other than attention, poked and prodded, and weighed. But apparently I got one, and that's a good thing. I'll have to take their word for it.

Speaking of me getting weighed: I now weigh exactly 10kilos, which I'm told is something like 22lbs, for those of you who need it like that. Apparently that's a good weight for me to be, even though it's 0.2kilos more than Lilie weighs. The vet says my poodle side is making me a big boy. Since I'm now a tiny bit bigger than Lilie, I'd have to agree with that.

So, that was my most recent vet trip. Mummy and the vet seemed pleased with how it went, and I loved all the attention I got during my vet trip - both from the people at the vet, and the taxi humans - so we're all very happy.

Well, except maybe Lilie, who wishes she could have come too.

Lots of licks,
Logan

#AmReading + #AmWatching - October 3rd 2019 #Reviews (Includes Challenge Updates)

Keep reading. It's one of the most marvellous adventures anyone can have
~Lloyd Alexander

It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.

OK...

Here's what I read this week:

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a captivating and delightful story, with a fascinating plot, and wonderful characters. It's an excellent adventure for children old enough to appreciate it, and those young at heart.

Empowered by Katrina Cope
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I devoured this book in one sitting, and the only disappointing thing was that it ended, so my time with the characters was over again for now. I'm loving seeing this series develop, and the characters in it grow as it does. It's also fascinating learning more about the world the author has created, and its various legends. In short: I'm still loving this series, and would highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of fantasy and mythology.
*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book, or the contents of this review.

As for what I've been watching:

I watched a couple of random "Star Trek: Voyager" episodes. I also watched a documentary... I don't know what it was called, but it was about the mystery surrounding the death /disappearance of Anastasia Romanov, which was on one of the history channels the other day. It was really interesting.

Plus, I had a DVD day on Sunday - as I mentioned in Tuesday's post - and watched three DVDs. One was "G-Force" which is a movie I've seen a couple of times before. The other two were new to me movies though - and quite new movies in general, since they've only just come out on DVD here, and were actually only released earlier this year - so it turns out I have a couple of movie reviews for you again this week.

Aladdin (2019 movie):
I wasn't expecting to be a big fan of this movie, because I love Robin Williams as the geni, and was positive Will Smith wouldn't do it for me. Yes, he's a good actor, and I didn't doubt he'd do well in general, but to me Robin Williams is the geni, and I struggled to imagine Will Smith doing the geni scenes in a way that would satisfy someone like me who grew up with Robin Williams as the familiar voice of the geni. Still, I wanted to see this movie, and knew I'd want a copy for my DVD collection anyhow, so I got a copy, and watched it. I was pleasantly surprised. I still prefer Robin Williams as the geni, but Will Smith was really great, and did do the role justice, so that I found I really enjoyed the movie. It's every bit as good as the animated one I've seen loads of times. So, I recommend this movie to anyone who loved the animated one, and is prepared to give Will Smith a chance as the geni. Also, I give this movie a well deserved five out of five stars.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019 movie):
I've been dying to see this one. I've still got several of the older Pokémon movies to watch, but I love Pikachu, so absolutely had to see this one. I was so eager to see it I even pre-ordered the DVD a couple of months ago, which is something I haven't done since the Harry Potter movies were being released on DVD. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. It's a bit more slow-paced than the earlier Pokémon movies (which are the ones I've seen) especially at the beginning. But it's an excellent Pokémon themed mystery, it's entertaining, and the ending is just lovely. If you're a Pokémon fan, I highly recommend this movie. I also give this movie five out of five stars.

***~~~***

Since we're three quarters of the way through the year - yes, already - I thought I'd take a moment to update you on how I'm doing with my reading and watching challenges for 2019 again. So, this is how things stand at the moment:

I've so far read 82 books towards my goal of 104 books.I've completed 23 letters for the title version of the A-Z challenge, and all 26 for the author version of the A-Z challenge. Here's what I read for the A-Z author challenge
I've so far watched 44 DVDs towards my goal of 52 DVDs.
So, I'm doing well with my challenges. If you had reading or watching goals for the year, how are you doing with yours?

#WriterWednesday - October 2nd 2019

In case you missed my post about it from a couple of weeks ago: I FINALLY have a new book out! My pirate themed adventure story, featuring my own ratty girls, Star and Skye, Voyage Of The Crimson Sail" is out now, and you can buy it in both eBook and/or paperback from a variety of online retailers, including - but not limited to - Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and iBooks. Check out the post I just linked to for more details, as well as for purchase links.

For those who prefer it: an audio version will be made available in the not-too-distant future. In fact, Emma Thorpe - who narrated my Magical Chapters Trilogy - has agreed to take on the project, and should be starting work on that this week.

As I'm sure you can imagine, given how long it's taken, I'm incredibly happy to have this book finally done. Not that I haven't enjoyed writing it, because I have... It was a fun challenge to write an adventure story. But it feels great to be at the end of this particular writing journey, even though I completely agree with the following quote:

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.
~Ursula K. Le Guin

In other news: thanks to the talented Jenny Bacon, the audio version of another of my books has been produced, and is currently heading to retail, so I'll be announcing the availability of "Thistle The Fairy Trickster" in audio soon.

For now though, I have a whole load of links to share with you, so let's get started, shall we?

First of all, as you've likely noticed, there are only a few more months of the year left. So, how are those goals of yours for this year going? Are you struggling with them? If so, remember that if you want to meet your goals, you have to start setting definite ones. You can bear that in mind for future goal setting too.

Or, if it's fitting everything in that's not working for you, try switching up your routine a bit. I'm sure you've heard about how doing some kind of morning routine can help, but remember that your evening routine might be even more important than your morning rituals.

Oh, and if you've been taking a writing break, and one of your goals is to get back in to writing, this post contains the keys to successfully returning from a writing hiatus. Also, this is how to write regularly without getting sick of it, and why writing consistently (not necessarily every day) matters.

If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn’t expecting it.
~H. G. Wells

Regardless of what goals you might have, or how your goals are going, if you want to start writing a book, here are 12 essential reminders for anyone getting ready to start writing a book. Also, here are some unusual writing tips, which you might like to bear in mind. Oh, and just let your story decide its own length, at least in the first draft, OK?

Next, here's how to find your writing productivity limit (and why it matters). And this is what 'writing on a bad day' looks like, and what to do about it - in case you need to read that. After all, the actual writing isn't the hardest part about being a writer.

Anyway, here are some things to consider if you're doing series work, and some tips for if you're tackling the challenge of making 100 monsters (or whatever number it might be) for your series.

Series or not, here's a great changing times expansion pack, which might inspire your next story if that's a theme you've been thinking of going with.

You know the advice to write what you know? Well, depending on what you're writing about, that might not actually be possible. So, how do you write what you can't know? The post I just linked to explains.

A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world.
~Susan Sontag

Whatever you've written, if you're now in the editing phase, but struggling to stay motivated to finish those edits, this is how to stay motivated during edits.

Oh, and... While you're editing... If your characters are easily mixed up, you should try these tips for making characters distinct.

If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
~ELMORE LEONARD

By the way, I publish my audiobooks via ACX, but ACX aren't the only way to produce them. For example, Kobo have just launched a direct audio upload feature, which you could potentially use if you're actually doing the narration yourself. I wouldn't want to personally, since I know I wouldn't do them justice. But if you do, or if you've worked with someone you've paid up front, so don't have to be exclusive to somewhere else, it's something you might want to consider.

Anyway, when you're ready for them, here are some tips on attracting your readers with your covers, book titles, tag lines, and key words. Also, here's a bit more on how to title your book.

Now, let's talk about online watering holes for authors. So, is your blog marketing ready? Do you need a step by step Twitter set up guide? And do you use Facebook, exclusive watering holes, or LinkedIn? Check out the posts I just linked to if you need tips for any of those things.

Regardless what the situation with your online watering holes is, if you're going to be doing guest posts - whether on your own blog, or on the blogs of others - here are some important points to consider when it comes to writing a guest blog post.

No matter what marketing strategies you use, or even if you publish at all, if you ever feel like you can't keep up, you're not alone! The type of burnout no one's talking about might be the one affecting writers the most. So look after yourself, and remember that it's OK if you have to leave some of those ideas behind. All you can do is be your own best in the world at everything, so don't expect more than that of yourself.

The first person you should think of pleasing, in writing a book, is yourself.
~Patricia Highsmith

If you're struggling to accept that, these are the reasons you haven't written anything you're proud of lately, which you should bear in mind.

Finally, read this when it feels like your work doesn't matter.

The Last Week Of September 2019

(Above ocean photos taken looking out of our living room window, late on the morning of September 24th 2019).

Here's the highlights of the past week.

***~~~***

Tuesday, September 24th:
I had a random bad night with sleeping, for no apparent reason. I can't blame Lilie or Logan, since both were sleeping. I just couldn't sleep. Got so restless I even got up for a while and did some stuff on the computer, despite my rule about staying off it after dinner and before breakfast. Well, at least it meant I managed to check a few things off my online to-do list. I spent most of Tuesday doing that, actually. Other than when I was doing offline stuff that needed doing, playing with the furkids, or getting the small amount of sleep I actually managed to get that day. This was one of those days I was very glad to see bed time roll around though, let me tell you!

***~~~***

Wednesday, September 25th:
I ended up making an unplanned cooking experiment. Since we still can't use the hob, and I wanted broccoli and cauliflower, I'd planned to make a broccoli and cauliflower bake using a can of chopped tomatoes as the main ingredient for the sauce. But I didn't check with Kelly before opening a can, and it turned out I'd gotten the cans in my cupboard mixed up, and opened a can of evaporated coconut milk instead of a can of chopped tomatoes. This left me with the choice of wasting the coconut milk, making something else with the coconut milk and attempting to find some tomatoes, or trying an experiment and using the coconut milk to make a sauce. The first one was definitely not an option, since I don't like to waste food, and I couldn't be bothered to decide what else to make, so I shrugged, poured the coconut milk in the cassarole dish with the broccoli and cauliflower, sprinkled in some nutmeg, and shoved it in the oven. I mean, I knew it had to be a vegan friendly milk, because nothing in that cupboard isn't vegan friendly (Kelly and I organized the cupboards to make sure the stuff is in different cupboards, so there's no chance of vegan and non-vegan items getting mixed up). I also know coconut milk can work in savory recipes as well as sweet ones, so figured I'd see what happened. If I didn't like it, I knew not to do it again. But, as it happened, it actually turned out really great! The sauce was creamy, with a slight sweetness, which actually went better than I thought it would with the broccoli and cauliflower. I served it with a baked potato, and had a very satisfying and tasty dinner. Plus leftovers to enjoy the following day, which were just as good, by the way. I'm thinking I'll make it again some time, and next time it will even be on purpose. *wink*

***~~~***

Thursday, September 26th:
It was a very wet day. We've had a few of those recently. It was also the day of Logan's five month puppy vet checkup, which I'll let him tell you about on Friday, though I'll say it went well, and Logan was a good boy; he seemed to enjoy the vet trip, and behaved really well too. Anyway, since it was so wet, I just took Logan, and Kelly stayed home with Lilie. I know Lilie was a bit disappointed not to go with us. Actually, a lot disappointed. But I also know she enjoyed getting some one-on-one attention from Kelly, even if she wasn't too happy Logan went somewhere she didn't. Both dogs were exhausted afterwards though, so I took advantage of that to get some more online stuff done while they napped.

***~~~***

Friday, September 27th:
It was a rather blustery day, and I promised Kelly I'd help with the writing of something for one of his roleplaying games, so I worked on that while listening to the wind. Despite tentative plans being made earlier in the year, it's about as close as I get to roleplaying these days. Anyway, then I went back to my attempts at catching up on the other tasks I needed to do, which I was finally getting caught up on, after having neglected them in an attempt to speed up finishing "Voyage Of The Crimson Sail" in time for when I wanted it released. Other than those things - so, when Lilie and Logan were awake, and I couldn't get things done so easily - I just did some of the normal day to day chores, pet care and play activities, etc.

***~~~***

Saturday, September 28th:
It was a very wet day. It had rained a lot in the night, and continued to do so on and off all day. Luckily, my Saturday plans were something like Friday's plans, so it wasn't a big deal. So, when Lilie and Logan were napping, I finished working on Kelly's roleplaying write up thingy, and then sorted more of what I needed to get caught up on myself. Other than a few eMails - which I'm not so bothered about, since completely being caught up with those is almost impossible anyhow - I actually managed to get caught up. So, YAY!

***~~~***

Sunday, September 29th:
It was quite a stormy Sunday. It didn't matter though. I promised myself a DVD day. For one thing, I've been bad about the whole self care thing recently, despite it being one of my goals for the year. For another thing, I think I earned it after a week spent taking every opportunity to catch up on things online. Plus, I had a couple of new DVDs, and one of them was a movie I'd been dying to see. I'll tell you about those on Thursday though. The point is, that's what Sunday was: a DVD day for me. Lilie and Logan love my DVD days, since I play with and then cuddle with them while I watch whatever I'm watching, and they love the attention - what dog wouldn't? So the three of us had a great time enjoying our DVD day, and Logan was enjoying it so much he didn't even seem to notice the bad weather. Actually, he's getting good about ignoring that, and even when he doesn't ignore it, doesn't really get upset these days. Lilie's habit of ignoring storms, and my enjoyment of them, is obviously helping him.

***~~~***

Monday, September 30th:
I spent most of the morning alternating between my usual morning tasks, playing with Lilie and Logan, and catching up with family members on the phone, since some of them I haven't spoken to in a while. At the time I'm writing this, Lilie and Logan have gone for their naps, so it's computer task time for me. For Monday that means writing Tuesday's blog post, and then seeing what showed up in my inbox while I was ignoring my computer in favour of some DVD watching on Sunday, and what of that isn't junk, so needs to be dealt with.

***~~~***

So, that was how the last week of September went for me. How did your week go?

#MondayMotivation, #Inspiration, And #Wisdom - #Quotes For September 30th 2019

Fear both the heat and the cold of your heart, and try to have patience, if you can.
~J.R.R. Tolkien

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.
~Unknown

We are so scared of being judged that we look for every excuse to procrastinate.
~Erica Jong

Happiness is the absence of the striving for happiness.
~Chuang-Tzu

I have found, over and over, that a person of average intelligence with clear goals will run circles around a genius who is not sure what he or she really wants.
~Brian Tracy

Sometimes it's better to take life as it comes, set your sails according to the winds that blow, go with the tide, follow your instinct, choose the grassier, less trodden road for its own sake and not in the hope it might lead anywhere very special.
~C.R. Milne

Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, "Grow, grow".
~The Talmud

Friends Of #FurkidFriday: Apollo

Hi everyone. This is Lilie the Westie.

I've got a new friend for you to meet again today. So, new friend, tell everyone... What’s your name? If you have an unusual name, or there’s an interesting story behind it, we'd love to hear about that too.

My name is Apollo. I was named after one of the characters from the Rocky film series. My owners are always watching the Rocky films. I don’t know whether I am a goodie or a baddie in the film.

I don't know either... I haven't seen those films. Nice name though!

So, Apollo... Actually, can I call you Po? Mummy says you answer to that, and it's what your human calls you most times on her blog. So I'm going to go ahead and call you Po. Hope you don't mind. Anyway, Po, what species and breed are you?

I am a Labrador Retriever and I am a pedigree. I am nearly three years old.

Oh, you're only a little older than me. Much bigger though. For those who don't know your breed, describe your appearance. I know you've sent a photo, but please describe yourself too, for the benefit of those who can’t see the photo.

I have been told I am a very handsome boy. I am a big lad but still manage to squash myself onto the sofa with the family. My fur is a golden colour. I have big brown eyes and a long snout which is good for stealing bacon out of sandwiches.

Great use to put a snout to! Logan uses his long snout for food stealing too. He's my little Cavapoo brother, for those who don't know. Hey, speaking of family, Po, what sort of place do you live in? Who do you share it with?

I live in a beautiful part of the world, Monmouthshire in South Wales, UK. I live with three cat brothers and sisters. We all try to get along nicely but there are squabbles. I love chasing the cats, but they hate it so that’s why we normally fall out.

I live with four humans, one of them is a blonde romance author who forces me to listen to all her first drafts. She gets so excited and I just yawn.

Listening to first drafts is boring, isn't it? Mummy makes me deal with that too. It's something a lot of writers' pets have to deal with, unfortunately. On the other hand, games of chase are such fun! I can't see why the cats wouldn't like it... Cats are strange. Playing chase is one of my favourite things to do... What’s your favourite thing to do?

I love hanging out with my dog friends in the fields at the end of the street. I have a lot of dog friends; Trixie the black lab, Wilson the Beagle, Dextor the Dalmation, Stanley the German Shepherd, Skye and Vienna the Collies and the love of my life; Lottie the golden lab.

Lottie and I always chase each other but that causes Wilson to get cross as he’s jealous.

Oh, you do have a lot of friends. That's fantastic! How about when you can't go out to play with them? Do you have a favourite toy? If yes, what is it?

I have a toy rubber stick which I love to play tug on.

Sounds like fun! Speaking of favourite things, what’s your favourite food?

I like human food if honest. I like cheese, bacon and chicken the best. When my owners eat chicken I drool and slobber all over them.

Ahhh... A dog after my own heart! I don't slobber so much, but have to agree with your food choices. On the subject of human stuff, what’s the one thing your human does that you love most?

I get five walks in the field a day. We walk a lot which means play time with my friends. My owner says I should be grateful as some dogs don’t get the luxury of running around beautiful fields.

She's right. We have a bit of a park, but that's the closest thing we have to a field around here. Make the most of your field time! Your human is great to take you out so much. Bet there are things she does that aren't so good though. So, what’s the one thing your human does that you hate most?

The blonde author owner makes me pose for Instagram selfies. I always turn away now as I think she’s trying to exploit me.

Oh, yes... The flashy thing. Humans are terrible about sticking that flashy thing in our faces, aren't they? I kind of like it for the attention, but it does get annoying, doesn't it? Anyway, on the subject of your human, you already mentioned your human is a writer. Has she written anything about you? If yes, can you tell us about it? If no, do you think she will in the future?

She has written a mini series called When Harry Met Po on her blog. It was about the ups and downs of my pet friendship.

Oh, yes... I remember. Me and Mummy loved reading those episodes. Tell your human she should write more. Speaking of her writing though, what do you do while your human writes?

I watch nature documentaries on TV and I hang out with Harry the cat.

Good choices! The squeaky things in cages enjoy nature documentaries too. Except ones with sharks in for some reason.

OK, so, before we end this, Apollo, is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

I know a good romance book when I hear one!

Yes... With all the times your human has made you listen to her reading her manuscripts, I'm not surprised to hear that. You're probably an expert by now. Anyway, thanks for visiting today. It was great getting to know you better.

***~~~***

Instructions For Falling In Love Again.

What would you do if your late husband left you a list of instructions on how to fall in love with someone else?
Pippa Browning is faced with this exact dilemma, three years after the death of her husband, Dan.
Buried at the bottom of a drawer are a collection of notebooks full of Dan's advice on how to live without him.
Pippa's notebook is red and contains his instructions on how to fall in love again.
But Dan doesn’t just want Pippa to fall in love with anyone - Dan’s crazy suggestion is that Pippa should date his handsome friend, Mikey Stenton, a known thrill-seeking ladies’ man.
Reluctant to follow Dan’s advice, Pippa enters the world of dating. She embarks on a humorous journey of self-discovery, with the help of her children and two best friends.
It isn't long before Pippa is finding it hard to ignore Dan's instructions and Mikey Stenton.
Is Mikey really the man that everyone thinks him to be? Or was Dan right, and Mikey’s simply been misunderstood?
An uplifting and heart-warming story about bereavement, friendship and finding love, the second time around.

Buy the book from Amazon UK, or Buy the book from Amazon US.

Author bio
I live in South Wales with my husband, my two teenage daughters, a giant Labrador and a gang of unruly cats.
I am the author of the award winning blog, BlondeWriteMore.
When I am not working or writing, I can be found listening to audiobooks in a muddy field with my dog or sat outside my local pub in the sunshine enjoying a glass of wine.

***~~~***

I hope you enjoyed meeting my new friend, Apollo - also known as Po - and his blonde author human. Feel free to comment, or share this post around - better yet, do both of those things - to show your support for them both.

We're always looking for more friends, so... If you're a bird, cat, chinchilla, degu, dog, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, rat, or any other non-human animal, you live with a human who calls themselves a writer - yes, blogging counts - and you'd like to be featured as a friend of Furkid Friday, follow the instructions on the "Friends Of Furkid Friday" page. You can also use that page to check out the posts for friends we've previously featured.

Lots of licks,
Lilie

#AmReading + #AmWatching - September 26th 2019 #Reviews

There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to read a book and the tired man who wants a book to read.
~Gilbert K. Chesterton

It's time to take a look at what I've been reading and watching during this past week.

If you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question. Please bear in mind that the format I've reviewed on Goodreads may not be the format I actually read.

Alternatively, if it's a movie or TV show you want to know more about, just click on the title to go to a page where you can find out more details about the movie or TV show in question; the title links will usually take you to a page on IMDB.

Don't forget: I read and watch things across multiple genres, as well as for different age ranges, so you should always check before reading or viewing, to make certain something is suitable for the intended audience, especially when children are involved.

OK...

Here's what I read this week:

Nano Z: Oblivion by Brad Knight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a pretty good ending to the trilogy. It still suffers from the writing issues of the first two, but is otherwise a great read, with the potential to be an excellent one with some tweaks to improve the clunky writing issues.

Captives by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an intense and action-packed story, which I would have gladly read in one sitting if the need to do other things - like sleep - hadn't stopped me from doing so. If you've read and enjoyed the previous books in the series, you're going to love this one. If you haven't, and are a fan of post apocalyptic/dystopian stories, you may want to grab this series.

As for what I've been watching:

I watched two DVDs during the past week, both of which were movies. Though they're both movies that have been out for several years, they're also both new to me movies, so I've actually got a couple of movie reviews for you this week.

Night At The Museum (2006 movie):
This was an excellent and fun movie; it was entertaining and enjoyable, with plenty of action, as well as several funny scenes. I loved how there were snippets of historical information given from time to time throughout the entire movie, and how there was more to the plot than just the chaos at the museum itself. My official rating is 4.5 stars, but since I always round up, I give this movie five out of five stars.

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011 movie):
This was a pretty good movie. From start to finish, it was cute and entertaining at the same time, with some funny moments, as well as a few sweet ones. It's one most of the family could enjoy together, though perhaps not one that would become a new family favourite. A really great movie, but not amazing. I give this movie four out of five stars.

#WriterWednesday: #Quotes About Creativity And #Writing

Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism, while messes are the artist's true friend. What people somehow forget to mention when we were children was that we need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.
~Anne Lamott

I begin with an idea, and then it becomes something else.
~Pablo Picasso

The pen is the tongue of the mind.
~Miguel deCevantes Saavedra

We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.
~Ernest Hemingway

The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say
~Anaïs Nin

It's a delicious thing to write...to be no longer yourself but to move in an entire universe of your own creating.
~Gustave Flauvert

Write a novel if you must, but think of money as an unlikely accident. Get your reward out of writing it, and try to be content with that.
~Pearl Buck

Random Ramblings - September 24th 2019 Edition

Just some random stuff from the past few weeks, in whatever order it occurs to me to mention it.

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A few weeks ago, we got a new to us microwave. "New to us," because our friends, Lorna and Andy, gave it to us. They were getting a new one, and we needed a new one to be honest, so they offered us their old one. Since their old one is in better condition than ours was, we accepted it. They got rid of their old one, without having to throw away a perfectly good microwave, and we got a better microwave. It was a win-win situation.

Of course, there was the slight complication of it having a keypad that's not tactile, which made it difficult for me to use. Not quite impossible, as my determination proved the morning after we got it, when I managed to do just that. But considering how long it took me to make it work by myself - which I was proud of, but don't want to have to be going through every time I want to heat something up - we decided to put some tactile markings on the buttons so I could find them more easily. We didn't bother with the fancy settings though. Just the numbers, and the "start" and "stop" buttons. It's made it much easier for me, since it no longer takes me longer to find the buttons than I needed it to be on for, and I can be sure of which numbers I'm actually pressing now too, instead of having to just hope I pressed what I thought I did.

Lorna and Andy have been helping us sort out some of the tasks around here we're allowed to go ahead and do ourselves too. So I now have a hand rail in the bathroom. Could have done with it sooner, so it was there before I had my surgery, because it would have been very useful once I got to the point in my recovery when getting in and out of the bath would have actually been an option if I'd had a rail to use. But at least I have one now... A rail to grab when getting in and out of the bath is always a good idea, and we're actually not sure why there wasn't one.

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Before you ask: no. We still don't have a working cooker.

Apparently there was some confusion about whether the hob was meant to be being replaced, because it was mentioned that at least one of the rings on it does work. So we pointed out that though there is a ring that technically works, we can't actually use it, because it trips the electric every time we try. Now we're all in agreement this means the hob doesn't work at all - like I've been trying to tell them - so maybe now we'll finally actually get that replaced? Can but hope, right?

In the meantime, they painted the downstairs hallway again.

I'm a bit annoyed they're wasting time doing jobs like that when there are more important things to be doing - like the skylight that still needs to be fixed - and rather confused about why they're painting the downstairs hallway again. But mostly I'm annoyed they failed to warn us they'd be doing so.

They're meant to tell us when anything like that is going to happen. It's courtesy to do so anyhow, but important for me to know, since I need to know to watch out for paint pots, people on ladders, etc. Actually, they're usually really good about warning me, and about telling the people doing work that I can't see, so they should watch out for me, be careful about leaving things behind, and move things out of my way if they can when they see me coming. But this time my only warning came from Lilie and Logan barking when they heard people down there, and Kelly telling me when he went to investigate. Also, between the wet paint and the fact the guys had things literally all over the hallway, I was stuck indoors the whole time they were here, which was most of the week, so I wasn't too happy about that. It made taking Lilie and Logan out difficult too, since Kelly had to carry them down and walk them one at a time, because I couldn't go, and we needed to be sure neither of them got in to the paint.

I was going to say something to the landlords, but decided not to bother. This time. Better to save the time and energy I have for dealing with them to discuss more important things. Like getting the cooker fully functioning, and attempting to get the skylight repaired before Winter arrives. Besides, as I said, they're usually good about remembering to warn me. Not sure why they didn't this time. Well, as long as they don't make a habit of it. If it happens again though, I will be saying something, and I'm not promising it will be polite.

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Logan is teething, and had a bad time with one of his lower canine teeth a little over a week ago.

When it became loose enough to do so, it twisted sideways in his mouth, and was causing him some pain.

Luckily he didn't have to deal with it for too long. Although, I suppose it felt like too long for him, and I wish he hadn't had to go through most of the weekend dealing with it refusing to drop out. While he was, it was like having a teething baby, because he was cranky and unsettled. Understandably. But none of us got much sleep during it. We caught up on sleep some this past weekend though, thankfully.

I'm not sure how many more teeth he has to swap for his adult teeth, but I hope no more of them do that. Not because of the lack of sleep thing either - though that part obviously wasn't much fun - but because I felt so bad for him hurting like that, with me unable to do anything for him. If it had still been like it on the Monday morning, I was going to call the vet and ask if there was anything I could do to help him. But it came out Sunday night. Actually, it came out in my hand when I was checking on it. Logan was so happy when it did. Can't say I blame him. I'd have been too. In fact, I was.

He will be going to the vet though. Not because of the tooth... He's fine as regards his teeth now, by the look of it... But because he's due for his next puppy progress appointment. Our vet likes to see them every couple of months during their first year, because of all the growing they do, so they can be on the right flea and worming treatment for their size. Anyway, he's got an appointment for this coming Thursday (September 26th) at 10:45am.

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The sores on Kelly's legs came back, despite him taking the vitamin D still (he's got a couple more days before he's done with what they gave him). They keep clearing up, and then coming back again.

The working theory now is that it's a form of eczema. So they've given him some ointment for that. It helps a bit. I mean, it seems to clear the sores up initially anyway. But then they come back, like I said.

He's going to have to talk to the doctor again, I think.

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My Mam got me a 3-in-1 blender, so I can use it to make sauces and things, since my smoothie maker's abilities are limited to just smoothies. If we'd thought about it, we'd have just got the blender, since it does smoothies too, but never mind. Besides, the one that's just a smoothie maker has lids for the bottles it makes the smoothies in, so you can make them and take them with you on the go, which the 3 in 1 blender doesn't allow you to do, so there's that.

Anyway, I tried it out on Friday, blending vegetables and such to make soup, which I then cooked in the slow cooker. It worked great, and the soup was good too. If you're interested, it was butternut squash, sweet potato, regular potato, swede, carrot, mushroom, onion, garlic, spinach, sunflower seeds, a little almond milk, and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice mix. I had it with some nice fresh bread.

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For those who like to know, September's Makerly kit was a crochet kit to make a bag of some sort.

To be honest, I've never been any good at crochet, though I've tried it several times before. So I really don't think I'll even be attempting this kit. Actually, I've got a couple of kits I don't think I'll be able to do now. I'm thinking I'll give them as Christmas presents to someone else who can make better use of them. Maybe my Nan... She likes trying different crafts.

Speaking of craft kits though: there's more progress on the unicorn. It just needs its sparkly parts painted now. Maybe we will actually finish it this year after all. I was starting to wonder if we would...

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When we were in town a couple of weeks ago, we went to poundland - which sounds like an exciting place (at least, it does to me) but is just our version of a dollar store - and checked out their Halloween decorations. They had some cool stuff. I picked up a pumpkin decoration that lights up, because I thought it was cute. I don't have a photo right now, but I'll show you it when I show you my Halloween decoration setup this year... So in about a month.

We also went and checked out a few other stores. Even had a look around a local furniture place to see what they had - since we'll be looking to replace some stuff in the not-too-distant future. I checked all the wardrobes... No entrance to Narnia. Either it's moved, or I had the wrong wardrobes. Yes, I really did check (much to the amusement of a nearby shop assistant). Hey, can't hurt to look, right? *wink*